9 Foods That Cause Inflammation
1) Added/Processed Sugars
Processed and packaged foods that line grocery store shelves are full of added sugars. Both sucrose (you know it as table sugar) and high fructose corn syrup (found in so many products) are true villains when it comes to inflammation. Cancer, fatty liver disease, obesity, chronic kidney disease, and more are related to excessive sugar intake.
Avoid pastries, cookies, cereals, and candy. You know, basically all of the packaged convenience foods so typical of today. Finding it hard to quit the sugar habit? I did it, and I am telling you that you can, too!
2) Trans Fats
Artificial trans fats are high up there on the list of inflammatory foods to avoid. Think about it: foods last for months on the grocery store shelf thanks to adding trans fats. When you look at it that way, it’s not something that you want to put in your body, right?
Stay away from packaged cookies and cakes, french fries, shortening, and margarine. If you see trans fats on the label, walk away.
3) Refined Carbs
Raising your blood sugar. Eating empty calories devoid of fiber and vitamins. Increasing inflammation through food processing methods. None of that sounds appetizing.
Thinking about eating crisp vegetables, juicy fruits, and satisfying whole grains sounds much more inviting than eating a bag of chips, a handful of cookies, and a soda. Make the move. Cut processed foods out of your diet, and you will feel amazing.
4) Processed Meat
Avoid eating processed meat and you will reduce your risk of stomach and colon cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Cooking sliced meats at a high temperature is what adds the inflammatory factor. Try to reduce these to a minimum, and then choose options like nitrate and nitrite-free meats when doing so.
5) Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
If you love deli meat, fast food, canned vegetables, instant noodles, seasoning blends, frozen meals, and prepared Asian food, you are likely consuming MSG, otherwise known as monosodium glutamate. MSG is a known cause of food-related inflammation.
Look for “no MSG added” when out at restaurants or eating take-out food.
6) Gluten
While not everyone has a sensitivity to gluten, if your body is struggling with inflammation, gluten will cause additional distress because it’s harder to digest. Given that, I include it in this list. Many choose not to eat foods containing gluten. As well, people who have conditions like celiac disease cannot tolerate gluten due to its effects on the intestine. There is an inflammatory reaction that can affect the organs and tissues.
Bread, couscous, and other foods made with wheat, barley, and rye are the culprits. If you’re struggling with inflammation, you can opt for foods that are gluten-free. When reading the gluten-free labels, however, make sure that the gluten-free product does not contain unnecessary added ingredients like potato starch, trans fats, or tons of sugar. Better yet, make your own bread and muffins at home.
7) Aspartame
Aspartame is an artificial sugar with no nutritional value. It was primarily used by diabetics years ago but is now used as a replacement for sugar in many items. People choose to buy diet sodas and other sugar-free food items as a weight-control aid.
Not only is aspartame linked to inflammation, but it also could lead to you making more unhealthy choices. Aspartame and other sweeteners like it may make you crave more sweet food and avoid other “less-intensely sweet” foods.
8) Vegetable and Seed Oils
Do you ever use vegetable, safflower, soy, peanut or corn oil? How about salad dressings that contain them? An overabundance of Omega 6s found in these products can trigger an inflammatory response in the body.
Better choices for oil are olive, coconut, and avocado oils. Olive oil has many antioxidants, and using this oil in cooking may reduce your chance of heart disease and stroke.
9) Excessive Alcohol
Drinking more than one drink per day for women and two for men will very likely cause inflammation. What happens is the liver cannot function properly, and toxins are released into the body. Keep your alcohol intake at a minimum, or consider not drinking at all. Personally, I rarely drink alcohol - maybe 2 or 3 times a year.
If you’d like to watch me discuss this exact topic in a video, click here.
Hopefully, understanding this will help you start to reduce these so you can start feeling better. I recommend spending this next week examining the foods you’re eating — looking at the ingredients, seeing what foods make you feel good or bad afterward, and being mindful of what you’re consuming. The more you do it, the easier it gets.
Next week, I’ll share the best anti-inflammatory foods so you can have the toolkit you need to start beating chronic inflammation head-on.
Have a fabulous week!
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Some of my favorite things this week 🙂
- Quote of the Week → “Inflammation is in the background of every single major illness.” – Julie Daniluk
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